かすくらい

Translation: leftovers eater
Habitat: unknown
Diet: unknown; probably leftovers and scraps

Appearance: Kasukurai are grotesque yōkai with pale white skin, a flabby, misshapen head, bloodshot eyes, thin lips, and pointy teeth. They wear loose robes draped over their shoulders.

Behavior: As kasurai only appear in picture form, nothing is known about where they come from or what they do. We can only speculate based on their name and appearance. Presumably they are yōkai that devour food scraps. Perhaps they are yōkai who appear when scraps are thrown away instead of eaten or reused—reminding us not to waste precious food.

Origin: Kasukurai appear in several picture scrolls going back to 1780’s Hyakumonogatari bake emaki. In each of its depictions the visuals are very similar, however none of them include more than a picture and a name. No folktales about this creature survive, if there ever were any to begin with.

Kasu in kasukurai’s name refers to leftover waste and food scraps, especially the byproducts of food production. Japanese food culture wastes very little, often transforming scraps and waste products into foods of their own, such as sake kasu (the leftover solids from brewing sake)—a sweet and nutritious paste used in many food recipes.